Transition Time at the FTC and FCC

The departures of Jon Leibowitz from the Federal Trade Commission and soon Julius Genachowski from the Federal Communications Commission mark a significant changing of the guard for two agencies that CDT frequently works with.

For the last four years, both chairmen were active and at times ground-breaking leaders on key issues for CDT. Chairman Leibowitz made protecting consumer privacy, particularly in the Internet environment, a real priority at the FTC. He significantly strengthened FTC enforcement against bad privacy practices, and singlehandedly revitalized the idea of a “Do Not Track” setting in web browsers. Chairman Genachowski, who announced today that he plans to leave the FCC in the coming weeks, was an enthusiastic advocate for increasing broadband connectivity nationwide. He was also a friend and defender of the Internet’s open nature, championing and ultimately shepherding the adoption of Open Internet rules aimed at ensuring that the Internet remains a place where innovators and upstarts can experiment and thrive.

In short, Leibowitz and Genachowski both leave a significant mark on their agencies and the policy landscape. CDT appreciates their service and their genuine interest in the views of groups like CDT. We look forward to working with their successors to continue and build upon their efforts on behalf of Internet users everywhere.